Difference between revisions of "Nitrates Directive"

Latest revision as of 08:23, 8 August 2019

The 1991 Nitrates Directive (91/676/EC) is one of the earliest pieces of EU legislation aimed at controlling pollution and improving water quality and forms integral part of the Water Framework Directive.

Main objectives

The Nitrate Directive aims to protect water quality across Europe by preventing nitrates from agricultural sources polluting ground and surface waters (nitrate is perhaps the most widespread groundwater contaminant and originates from natural sources, organic sources, atmospheric deposition, and inorganic fertilizer) and by promoting the use of good farming practices.

Implementations

Use of fertilizers in agriculture (Photo credit: Werktuigendagen)

Identification of surface waters and groundwater affected by pollution (or at risk) based on criteria described by the Directive (specifically when the concentration of nitrates in groundwater or surface water (especially those intended for drinking water) reaches more than 50 mg/l or when the surface water found to be eutrophic (or could become eutrophic)
Designation of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (Areas of land that become polluted by nitrates - in Europe they are identified as vulnerable when they exceed or being at risk of exceeding 50 mg/l of nitrates)
Establishment of a code of Good Agricultural Practice to be implemented by farmers on a voluntary basis to prevent nitrate losses to water by leaching and run-off (see Annex 2)
Setting up compulsory action programmes to be implemented by farmers who work in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) based on measures listed in the Good Agricultural Codes (see Annex 2) and those concerning the limitation of fertilizer application(see Annex 3).
Every four years member states must report on nitrate concentrations (groundwater and surface water), NVZs, eutrophication in surface waters and action programme(s) (revision and assessment of the impact on water quality and agricultural practices).

References

Text of The Nitrates Directive [1]

External links

The European Commission, The Nitrates Directive

The main author of this article is Knockaert, Carolien
Please note that others may also have edited the contents of this article.

Citation: Knockaert, Carolien (2019): Nitrates Directive. Available from http://www.coastalwiki.org/wiki/Nitrates_Directive [accessed on 31-10-2024]

For other articles by this author see Category:Articles by Knockaert, Carolien
For an overview of contributions by this author see Special:Contributions/Carolienk

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-Pure, clean water is vital to human health and well-being, as well as to natural ecosystems, so safeguarding water quality is one of the cornerstones of European environmental policy. Because water sources are not restricted within national boundaries, an EUwide approach is crucial to tackling problems of pollution. The 1991 Nitrates Directive is one of the earliest pieces of EU legislation aimed at controlling pollution and improving water quality.
+<P ALIGN="justify"> The 1991 '''Nitrates Directive''' (91/676/EC) is one of the earliest pieces of EU legislation aimed at controlling pollution and improving water quality and forms integral part of the [[Water Framework Directive|Water Framework Directive]].</P>
-The '''Nitrates Directive''' (91/676/EC) forms integral part of the [[Water Framework Directive|Water Framework Directive]] and is one of the key instruments in the protection of waters against agricultural pressures.
-== Goals ==
-The Nitrate Directive aims to protect water quality across Europe by preventing nitrates from agricultural sources polluting ground and surface waters and by promoting the use of good farming practices.
-[[Agriculture| Agriculture]] remains a major source of water-related problems. Nitrate is perhaps the most widespread groundwater contaminant and originates from natural sources, organic sources, atmospheric deposition, and inorganic [[fertilizer]].
-Nitrogen is crucial to life on earth, and the nitrogen cycle is one of the most important nutrient cycles for natural ecosystems. Plants absorb nitrogen from the soil, and animals eat the plants. When they die and decompose, the nitrogen returns to the soil, where bacteria convert it and the cycle starts again. However, farming activities can disturb the equilibrium of this cycle, for example through excessive application of fertilizers, causing on the one hand water pollution and [[eutrophication]], due to an excess [[nutrient]] load, and on the other acidification and greenhouse gas effects, due to gaseous emissions.
-[[Image:nitrogencycle.jpgthumb|right|The Nitrogen Cycle]]
-== Priorities ==
-===Identification of polluted or threatened waters (N)===
-* Surface freshwaters, in particular those used or intended for the abstraction of drinking water, containing or that could contain a concentration of more than 50 mg/l of nitrates
-* Groundwater containing or that could contain more than 50 mg/l of nitrates
-* Freshwater bodies, estuaries, coastal waters and marine waters, found to be eutrophic or that could become eutrophic
-===Designation of "vulnerable zones" (NVZ's)===
-* Areas of land which drain into polluted or threatened waters and which contribute to N pollution
-===Establishment of Code(s) of good agricultural practice, to be implemented by farmers on a voluntary basis===
-* Measures limiting the time when fertilizers can be applied on land, in order to allow N availability only when the crop needs nutrients
-* Measures limiting the conditions for fertilizer application (steeply sloping ground, frozen or snow covered ground, near water courses)
-* Requirement for a minimum storage capacity for livestock manure
-* Crop rotations, soil winter cover, catch crops, in order to limit leaching during the wet seasons
-===Establichment Action Programmes, to be implemented by farmers within NVZs on a compulsary basis===
-* Measures already included in the Code(s) of good agricultural practice, which becomes mandatory in NVZs
-* Other measures such as limitation of fertilizers to be applied taking into account crops needs, all N inputs and soil supply,  maximum amount of animal manure to be applied (corresponding to 170 kg N organic/hectare/year)
-===National monitoring and reporting every 4 years===
-* Nitrates concentrations
-* Eutrophication
-* Assessment of Action Programmes impact
-* Revision of NVZs and Action Programmes
+== Main objectives ==
+<P ALIGN="justify">
+The Nitrate Directive aims '''to protect water quality''' across Europe by '''preventing nitrates''' from agricultural sources '''polluting ground and surface waters''' (nitrate is perhaps the most widespread groundwater contaminant and originates from natural sources, organic sources, atmospheric deposition, and inorganic [[fertilizer]]) and by '''promoting the use of good farming practices.
+'''</P>
+== Implementations==
+[[Image:Manurefertilizer.jpeg|right|thumb|250px|<small>Use of fertilizers in agriculture (Photo credit: Werktuigendagen)</small>]]
+*'''Identification of surface waters and groundwater affected by pollution''' (or at risk) based on criteria described by the Directive (specifically when the concentration of nitrates in groundwater or surface water (especially those intended for drinking water) reaches more than 50 mg/l or when the surface water found to be [[eutrophic]] (or could become eutrophic)
+*Designation of '''Nitrate Vulnerable Zones''' (Areas of land that become polluted by nitrates - in Europe they are identified as vulnerable when they exceed or being at risk of exceeding 50 mg/l of nitrates)
+*Establishment of a code of '''Good Agricultural Practice to be implemented by farmers on a voluntary basis''' to prevent nitrate losses to water by leaching and run-off [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31991L0676:EN:PDF (see Annex 2)]
+*Setting up compulsory '''action programmes''' to be implemented by farmers who work in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) based on measures listed in the Good Agricultural Codes [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31991L0676:EN:PDF (see Annex 2)] and those concerning the limitation of fertilizer application[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31991L0676:EN:PDF  (see Annex 3)].
+*Every '''four years''' member states must '''report''' on nitrate concentrations (groundwater and surface water), NVZs, eutrophication in surface waters and action programme(s) (revision and assessment of the impact on water quality and agricultural practices).
+== References ==
+Text of The Nitrates Directive [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31991L0676:EN:PDF]
-== External links ==
+== External links==
+[http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-nitrates/index_en.html The European Commission, The Nitrates Directive]
-# [http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-nitrates/index_en.html European Commission,Implementation of Nitrates Directive]
+{{author
+ |AuthorID=26102
+ |AuthorFullName= Knockaert, Carolien
+ |AuthorName=Carolienk}}
-== References ==
+[[Category:Eutrophication]]
+[[Category:Legislation and conventions]]

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